University of Sydney Algebra Seminar

Richard Hain (Duke University)

Friday 12 September, 12:05-12:55pm, Place: 373

Can a mapping class group ever be a Kaehler group?

A Kaehler group is a group that occurs at the fundamental group of a compact Kaehler manifold (e.g., a complex projective manifold). Mapping class groups are groups of topological symmetries of a compact oriented surface. They occur as fundamental groups of moduli spaces of compact Riemann surfaces. In this talk I will survey some basic results about Kaehler groups and explain why mapping class groups in genus $\le 3$ cannot be Kaehler.